Finger-bowl.



No. 788,286. P ATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

A. S. STEBBINS & L. M. LAUER.

FINGER BOWL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 2. 1904.

: uill 'll li P lilllll IIIi UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATE T OFFICE.

AMBROSE S. STEBBINS, OF PALMYRA, AND LILLIAN M. LAUER, OF NEWV YORK, N.Y.

FINGER-BOWL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,286, dated April25,1905.

Application filed July 2, 1904. Serial No. 215,169.

T II/ZZ 1071,0771, it may concern:

Beit known that we, AMBROSE S. STEBBINS, of Palmyra, Wayne county, andLILLIAN M. LAUER, of New York, in the county of New York, State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Finger Bowls, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification and shownin the accompanying drawings.

I0 Our invention is an improved finger-bowl, the same being hereinafterfully described,and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Finger-bowls in common use upon diningtables,lunch-counters, &c., areopen vessels for holding water in which to dip the soiled fingers; butsuch devices are in a way unsightly and more or less objectionable fromthe fact that the water in the open bowl is liable to be thrown out orspattered about over,the table when in the act of dipping the fingers,and, further, the dipping of the fingers of numerous individuals intowater in an open bowl upon the table has an appearance 2 5 ofprimitiveness and objectionable untidiness. Observing these and otherobjections to the use of the open finger-bowls in common use we .haveaimed to produce one that is more neat and pleasing to a refined taste,a bowl 0 provided with a cover and the contained liquid practicallyinaccessible with the fingers and out of sight. Aside from providing thebowl with an ornamental perforated cover another main object of theinvention is to con- 3 5- struct the device with movable parts, soconstructed and arranged as to hold a folded napkin or like article inconvenient reach of the diner,-the napkin piercing the cover of the bowland having its lower part immersed in 4 the water or liquid within.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallypressing the superfluous water out of the submerged part of the napkin,leaving the same merely well dampened and in proper and desirablecondition to be used upon the soiled fingers without the liability ofwater dripping therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out andmade to appear in the following specification, reference being 5 had tothe accompanying drawings, which, with the reference characters markedthereon, form a part of the specification.

Figure 1 is a plan of our improved fingerbowl. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same seen as indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, parts beingbroken out and other parts sectioned. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ofthe bowl on the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2, showing the upper parts. Fig.4 isa horizontal section of the cover on the dotted line 44 in Fig. 2,further showing the compressing-rollers and other parts within. Fig. 5is a vertical cross-section of the cover, taken on the broken dottedline 5 5 in Fig. 4, further showing theparts within 5 the cover. Fig. 6is a side elevation of the inner band, showing an opening for receivingand controlling the axle of a roller. Fig. 7 is another side elevationof the band, showing it in a slightly different position with the roll-7 ers correspondingly thrown apart. Fig. 8 is a side elevation .of theband, showing a slot for one of the retaining-screws, parts being brokenaway. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of parts of the cover and the bandon the dotted line 9 in Fig. 2, further showing the relation of aretaining-screw and the band. Figs.

6, 7 and 8 are drawn to a scale larger than that of the remainingfigures.

Referring to the parts shown, A, Figs. 1 and 2, is the body of thefinger-bowl, made usually of ornamental glass or of lightsheet metal, asaluminium or silver.

B, Figs. 1 to L, is the cover of the bowl, pref erably made of lightmetal, as aluminium or 8 5 silver, ornamented to taste.

0, Figs. 2, 3, and 6 to 8, is a cylindrical band of metal encircling themouth of the bowl, being secured permanently by cement 0- upon the shortneck 19 of the body A in a 9 manner that is common in constructing lampsand similar articles. The cover B incloses the band C and is madeornamental in shape and formed with a flat central dome a, pierced by anelongated diametrical opening or slot 1), down through which to thrust afolded nap- ,kin or doily D into the liquid (Z, as clearly shown in Fig.2. The cover B, which is removable from the bowl, is formed with a flatannular inner surface a, Fig. 4, which rests upon the upper edge of theband C, as shown in Fig. 2, when the cover is in place on the bowl, thelower edges of the band and the cover being even, as appears in thefigure.

The cover B is adapted to turn in horizontal directions around the rigidband,its motions being limited in both directions by radial retainingpins or screws 0 a, threaded through thickened parts of the cover onopposite sides, the inner ends of these screws occupying horizontalslots ff in the band. Within the cover is placed a pair of equalcoacting rollers g g, Figs. 3 to 5, usually of india-rubber, supportedin independenthangers h it, pending from the cover. The rollers aredisposed in planes parallel with the central vertical plane of theopening band on opposite sides thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, the rollerscoacting with the opening. Each hanger 71. is formed with a horizontalhinge-rod It, held to turn in bearingsz' i, rigid with the surface 0 ofthe cover, the turning of the hangers in which bearings serving to bringthe rollers close together, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or allow them toswing down and apart, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7.

The rollers are formed with axles at their ends to rest in hearings inthe adjacent parts of the hangers, the axle 12 Fig. 4, at one end ofeach roller being long and projecting beyond the hanger, as shown, thetwo lengthened axles pointing in opposite directions. To coact withthese extended axles and for the purpose of controlling the rollers, theband C is formed with angular openings Z, Figs. 6 and 7, on oppositesides and alike, into which the axles not extend, respectively. Theopenings l open out at the upper edge of the band, as shown, each beingformed with a downwardlyextended inclined branch 0, to be at timesoccupied by the associated axle n of a roller g and a shoulder m higherup, the latter constituting a rest for the axle, as shown in thefigures. When the cover B is turned upon the band C, as above stated, ina manner to carry the axles n a into the respective inclined branches 00 of the openings Z Z, the rollers will be swung downward and wideapart, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7. Turning the cover in theopposite direction upon the band the axles n n will be brought upwardonto the seats or rests m m, respectively, as appears in Fig. 6,bringing the rollers close together and nearer the opening or slot 7) inthe cover, as there shown in dotted lines and in full lines in Figs. 4and 5. The hangers h h for the rollers are formed with slightly upwardlyprojecting parts 8 5, Figs. 5 and 6, which meeting the flat surface 0 asthe rollers are swung together, as stated, constitute stops for theupward movements of the rollers.

In using this improved finger-bowl the body or vessel A is firstpartially filled withwater (which may be impregnated with a finedetergent or with a perfume, if desired) and the napkin or similarhand-cloth D folded into a fan-shape form, as shown, the cover B of thebowl being turned, as stated, to open or spread the rollers g g. Thepointed end of the folded napkin is then passed downward through theslot 6 in the cover and between the rollers into the water or liquid (Zin the bowl, as appers in Fig. 2, after which the cover B is turned backagain to close the rollers against the napkin to closely press it andhold it in place. WVhen the services of the napkin are needed, it isdrawn out of the bowl, and as it moves upward between the rollers thesuperfluous water is pressed out of it, the napkin leaving the bowlmerely well dampened and in a desirable condition for use upon thefingers.

hat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A finger-bowl consisting of a vessel for holding liquid, and a coverfor the bowl, the cover having an elongated opening adapted to receive aflexible body or cloth, as a napkin.

2. A finger-bowl consisting of a hollow vessel containing liquid, and aslotted cover for the bowl adapted to receive a body, as a napkin, andhold the same with its lower end immersed.

3. A device, such as described, comprising a hollow vessel, a cover forthe vessel, formed with an opening at the top, rollers carried by thecover beneath said opening, and means for actuating the rollers.

4. A device, such as described, comprising a hollow vessel, a cover forthe vessel, formed with an opening at the top, a pair of coactingrollers held by the cover under the opening, the rollers being movabletoward or from each other, and means for controlling them, said coverand rollers preventing access with the fingers to the liquid within thevessel.

5. Afinger-bowlcomprisingavessel,acover for the vessel having adiametrical opening, a pair of independent coacting rollers pendingwithin the cover beneath said opening, pivotal hangers for the rollers,and means for turning the hangers on their hearings to move the rollerstogether or apart.

6. A finger-bowl comprising a hollow open vessel, a perforated bandaround the mouth of the vessel, a cover for the vessel and the band,adapted to turn on the latter and having a diametrical opening at thetop, a pair of coacting rollers carried by the cover beneath saidopening each having a lengthened axis engaging in a perforation of theband.

7 A device of the kind described, having an open vessel, a band havingopposite inclined openings rigid with the vessel, a cover for the vesseladapted to turn on the band and having a slot at the top, a pair ofrollers carried by the cover and coacting with said slot, each rollerhaving an extended and a short axle, the two extended axles being turnedin opposite directions and occupying said inclined openings,respectively, and rests in said openings for the extended axles.

8. A finger-bowl consisting of a vessel, a slotted cover for the Vessel,a pair of rollers within the cover, pivotal hangers for the rollerspending from the cover and adapted to swing on their bearings to bringthe rollers together and adjacent to the slot of the cover, with theopening between the rollers coincident with said slot, and stopslimiting the swinging motions of the hangers.

9. As an improved article of manufacture, a finger-bowl, comprising ahollow open vessel, means for closing the open end thereof to preventinsertion of the fingers and permitting the insertion of a napkin, andmeans within the said vessel and supported by the closing means forremoving the surplus of the liquid as the napkin is withdrawn throughthe egress-opening in the closing means.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, this 24th day ofJune, 1904:, and this 27th day of June, 1904, respectively, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses for each signature.

AMBROSE S. STEBBINS, LILLIAN M. LAUER. Witnesses for Ambrose S.Stebbins:

ROY BARRETT, Bnss BROWN. Witnessesfor Lillian M. Lauer:

GEORGE H. Conn, A. G. ACKERMAN.

